 | Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns by Inc. Sterling Publishing Co.
Buy new: $12.21 / Used from: $9.12 Most people would have you start with the Barbara Walker series. However, this all-around stitch dictionary covers the gambit of types of stitches. If you don't want to have 4-5 volumes and just want one go-to book, this is it.
|
 | 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Perpetual Calendar by Martingale & Co (Editor)
Buy new: $17.95 / Used from: $13.38 This is a MUST-HAVE for your knitting library. A wonderful compact collection of stitches that fits easily in your knitting bag for "on-the-go" inspiration.
Because of the spiral binding and the fact that it stands up, it is very handy book from which to work and try new swatches.
|
 | A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
Buy new: $30.00 / Used from: $40.09 THE Original Knitting Stitch library book -- the gold standard despite the black and white pictures. Check out http://thewalkertreasury.wordpress.com/ which is a project to create detailed color swatches for each of Walker's stitches.
|
 | A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
Buy new: $30.00 / Used from: $37.98 This is much like the first treasury. Good mix of knit/purl, cable patterns, relatively simple lace patterns and the like.
|
 | Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
Buy new: $30.00 / Used from: $40.19 This is not for the faint-of-heart or beginner knitters. This is the first knitting stitch books to introduce the use of charts -- mainly because the patterns are so complex, you couldn't possibly keep up otherwise.
|
 | A Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
Buy new: $30.00 / Used from: $22.00 This book was published YEARS after the first three and in my opinion, not as good as the first set. However, I've included it for the sake of completeness and for the respect that the Barbara Walker Treasury series deserves.
|
 | Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys, and Arans: Fishermen's Sweaters from the British Isles by Gladys Thompson
Buy new: $10.17 / Used from: $5.97 If you love traditional richly cabled sweaters, this is the book for you. Don't let the "retro" (black and white) pictures scare you off! It is THE book if you want to dive into Cables and Traditional Aran designs.
|
 | Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library: Over 190 Creative Knitwear Designs by Kaffe Fassett
Buy new: $23.07 / Used from: $9.86 If you are a color-work fanatic and Kaffe Fassett fan, this is a great book for inspiration.
|
 | I Can't Believe I'm Lace Knitting (Leisure Arts #4466) by Kay Meadors
Buy new: $14.95 / Used from: $35.34 If you want to dip your toe in the giant ocean of lace knitting, this is a great place to start!
This is a great little pamphlet/book to get you started on lace knitting. It provides user-friendly (charts) directions for beginner-intermediate lace patterns and gives you some ready-to-knit projects to boot.
|
 | Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns, and Traditions by Nancy Bush
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $14.84 You can't go wrong with any books by Nancy Bush and this is a great addition if you are interested in lace.
Beautiful pictures, complete projects, and a stitch dictionary make this a wonderful addition to your library and takes you beyond the Leisure Arts book.
|
 | 220 Aran Stitches and Patterns: Volume 5 (The Harmony Guides) by The Harmony Guides
Buy used from: $212.63 If you love cables and texture, this is a "must have" book in your collection. Pictures are in color and instructions are clear.
This is part of the original Harmony guides which are out-of-print. In my opinion, these are far better than the newer guides (and based on the prices being charged for the original guides, many would agree with me).
|
 | 450 Knitting Stitches: Volume 2 (The Harmony Guides) by The Harmony Guides
Buy used from: $49.95 Get your hands on the Original Harmony Guides while you can! The prices for this series are going up faster than gas prices.
Don't be fooled by the newer pretty "production values" of the "new" Harmony guides -- they just aren't as complete or as useful as the originals!
|
 | 440 More Knitting Stitches: Volume 3 (The Harmony Guides) by The Harmony Guides
Buy used from: $59.94 Another of The Original Harmony Guides -- becoming rare collector's items... get them while you can!
|
 | Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume One: Knit & Purl: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series)
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $15.30 Eye Candy, pure and simple. Beautiful pictures, well laid out, good collection and variety of stitches.
|
 | The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Two: Cables: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series) by Vogue Knitting Magazine
Buy new: $21.56 / Used from: $13.94 If you really only want one set of knitting stitch dictionaries, the Vogue Set is the way to go. A good balance of production values and usability.
(But still, the 365 Knitting Stitches is a MUST HAVE due to its compact size)
|
 | The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Three: Color Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Series) by Vogue Knitting Magazine
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $6.87 If you are into color knitting, a must have -- not many of the knitting stitches focus on color stitches.
|
 | Charts for Colour Knitting a Designer's Source Book From the Personal Collection of Alice Starmore by Alice Starmore
Buy used from: $175.00 If you have a couple hundred of dollars burning a hole in your knitting budget, this book will provide you with endless ideas and a creative outlet for color Shetland style knitting.
|
Listmania!
